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9 December 2016

Here's how it works: The Recent Releases chart brings together critical reaction to new albums from more than 50 sources worldwide. It's updated daily. Albums qualify with 5 reviews, and drop out after 6 weeks into the longer timespan charts.

The 1st half report 2011

If you're in a band and you're wanting acclaim from reviewers,
our survey of the most critically-acclaimed albums of the first
half of 2011 would suggest that the fastest route to winning those
plaudits would be to disband immediately and go it alone.

Only three of our top 10 top-rated albums came from those
operating as conventional band formats: Wild Beasts, Earth and
Fleet Foxes. (PS I Love You could just about be regarded as a band,
but is a guitar/drums duo in any way conventional?)

Otherwise, solo artists rule the critical roost. Or nominally
solo, at least. Gillian Welch is partnered by her partner, Dave
Rawlings and Bon Iver now has a band with him. Shabazz Palaces is a
moot case: this is a vehicle for Ishmael Butler but is also an
anonymous collective.

This continues a trend established when Arcade Fire and The
National were the sole out-and-out regular bands who featured in
the highest-rated albums of 2010.

Why so? Possibly because critics are drawn to distinctive
character and originality, traits which are more easily found in
individual artists than joint enterprises. There's no question that
Welch, PJ Harvey, Merrill Garbus (tUnE-YaRdS), Iver and Josh T
Pearson are all singer-songwriters following singular musical
paths.

Yet again, rock appears to be a minority interest for critics,
with drone merchants Earth and noise popsters PS I Love You the
only representatives from the guitar-toting classes.

It's a pattern discernible throughout the following 40 names in
our ratings: groups - and particularly rock groups - are hugely
under-represented. Is this a harbinger of the demise of the
singer-guitar-bass-drums staple? We doubt it. There'll be a revival
along any minute now. That's why we love modern music.

* Only albums attracting more than 10 reviews are included.

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8.76

Gillian Welch

The Harrow & The Harvest

This is one of the most defiantly traditional, non-radical and
deceptively simple albums in recent memory.